For Galaxy, it’s raining and pouring
Maybe Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena thought changing his clothes would change his team’s luck, which has been all bad lately. More likely it was a concession to the stubborn rain that fell at the Home Depot Center for most of the night.
Whatever the reason, Arena ditched his gray suit for a blue Galaxy warmup suit and cap just before his team returned to the field for the first time in two weeks Saturday to play the New England Revolution. It proved to be anything but a winning combination as the listless Galaxy fell to New England, 3-1.
After opening the season with four games — and one win — in 12 days, the Galaxy was supposed to use its recent two-week break to get healthy and work out the early season kinks. It did neither, starting the game without midfielders Landon Donovan (quadriceps) and Mike Magee (adductor tightness) before pulling another midfielder, David Beckham, at halftime.
Then the players it had left went out and played perhaps their worst game to date, with defensive miscues setting up two New England goals in the first 13 minutes.
Arena’s decision to get Beckham off the slick, wet turf was not injury related, the coach said. And if it seemed like a white flag of surrender, at least few were there to see it since most in the announced crowd of 21,324 had fled for dry ground by the time the second half started.
Perhaps they sensed what was coming. Last season, on its way to an MLS Cup, the Galaxy didn’t lose at home all season. This year they’ve already lost three times in four tries at the Home Depot Center. And for New England, Saturday’s win was their first in the Mountain or Pacific time zone in three seasons.
New England captain Shalrie Joseph got the rout started with a perfect 35yard cross from the left wing that landed on the boot of an unmarked Kelyn Rowe just in front of the Galaxy goal. Keeper Josh Saunders made the save on the first volley, but the ball came right back to Rowe, and he didn’t miss the second time, putting the ball in the upper left corner to give the Revolution a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute.
Another massive defensive breakdown led to the second goal three minutes later, when Kevin Alston sent what appeared to be an errant pass across the front of the Galaxy goal. But with no Galaxy player there to clear it, New England’s Chris Tierney was able to collect the ball well to the left of the goal before beating Saunders cleanly.
Saer Sene then all but put the game away, knifing between defenders Sean Franklin and Andrew Boyens to score on a header in the 65th minute, proving again how much the Galaxy misses Omar Gonzalez, the MLS defender of the year in 2011who is out until late summer after knee surgery.
Robbie Keane finally got the Galaxy on the board in the 78th minute, scoring for the third time in two games.